Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 26:9

"I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." — Acts 26:9 (ASV)

Paul went on to acknowledge that he too at one time thought that Christian preaching about the resurrection of Jesus was incredible. Pharisee though he was, he too had denounced belief in Jesus’ resurrection and had persecuted those who claimed to have seen him alive after his crucifixion. He put Christians in prison, agreed with the death penalty for their “blasphemy” (cf. 8:1), and went through the synagogues seeking to punish them for apostasy and to get them to recant. This he did not only in Jerusalem but also in cities outside Judea.